Delayed anastomotic leakage after short-course radiotherapy in a 91-year-old patient with rectal cancer.

Case reportClinical journal of gastroenterology· Feb 2026

Delayed anastomotic leakage after short-course radiotherapy in a 91-year-old patient with rectal cancer.

Yuta Kuhara, Shinnosuke Uegami, Masahide Miyata … Hiroki Ohge

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Colon & Rectal SurgeryCase reportClinical practiceQ3IF 0.8

Anastomotic leak presented 17 months after short-course radiotherapy and rectal surgery

Delayed anastomotic leakage after short-course radiotherapy in a 91-year-old patient with rectal cancer.

Yuta Kuhara … Hiroki Ohge

Clinical journal of gastroenterology · Feb 2026 · Q3 in Gastroenterology

Background

Delayed anastomotic leakage (delayed anastomotic leakage), defined as occurring > 30 days postoperatively, poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenging.

17

Results

17

months

leak surfaced over a year after surgery, far beyond typical early detection window

More results

Radiotherapy is a recognized risk factor for delayed anastomotic leakage, but most studies focused on conventional radiotherapy rather than short-course radiotherapy (short-course radiotherapy).

More results

We describe a case of delayed anastomotic leakage following short-course radiotherapy in a very elderly patient to emphasize late presentation and diagnostic considerations.

A 91-year-old man with rectal cancer underwent preoperative short-course radiotherapy (25 Gy/5 fractions) without chemotherapy because of advanced age and low performance status.

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Conclusion

Careful monitoring of C-reactive protein may provide a valuable diagnostic trigger for earlier detection, particularly in posterior site leakage where symptoms may be subtle or delayed.

Delayed anastomotic leakage after short-course radiotherapy in a 91-year-old patient with rectal cancer.

Delayed anastomotic leakage after short-course radiotherapy in a 91-year-old patient with rectal cancer.

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